WARWICK

only of strength, but also of extraordinary delight; being
planted with the most pleasant gardens, walks and thickets/
Both James I and Charles I stayed at the Castle, but at the
beginning of the Civil War it was in the hands of Fulke's son,
Lord Brooke, who was a strong Parliamentarian. Brooke,
having garrisoned the Castle for Parliament, mustered the
trained bands of the county at Stratford. In 1642 the Royal-
ists laid siege to Warwick, but though they gained the town,
Sir Edward Peto refused to surrender the Castle. Accordingly
ordnance was planted against the Castle and discharged.
Whereupon,

Sir Edward, in requittal, discharged two and bid them as liked
that, shoot again. Then Sir Edward made proclamation that all his
friends should depart the town and for the rest, bid them look to
themselves. He hung out of the Castle a bloody flag and a flag of
defence with a cross upon it in defiance of the Papists. . . . The
Lord Compton being planting ordnance on the tower of the Church,
Sir Edward discharged an ordnance from the Castle, which took off a
pinnacle of the tower and made the Cavaliers stir. . , .

A fellow of my Lord North's going over the street with a shoulder
of mutton in his hand, held it up and said, * Look here, you round-
heads, you would be glad of a bit presently,* and fell down dead, being
shot from the Castle. There are not many yet slain ; the Castle
remains untoucht and Sir Edward now hangs out his winding sheet
and Bible.

The Castle was not taken, for Lord Brooke arrived with a
relieving force and, having taken Stratford by assault, secured
the county for Parliament. He was killed at the Siege of LIch-
field by a sniper from the steeple of the Cathedral